The uncomfortable meeting concluded swiftly as the sun dipped below the horizon.
“Tch… I thought they were intruders! Who would’ve thought they were guests…”
“But it’s that Jamad! Watch your words. We don’t want anything to happen again.”
“Why are you acting like that? What happened last time?”
"He got into a skirmish with the enforcers when he was a child, causing a huge fight that turned the entire village upside down!"
“Th-the enforcers? Our elite guards?”
“Yeah, they might have even died if Ungus hadn’t stopped him. It was a good thing we had a good relationship with the Rock Molar Tribe. That was probably the only reason why it ended so well.”
Chameli, hearing the murmuring, asked Mael,
“What are they talking about right now?”
“They’re talking about Jamad’s past.”“Jamad…? As in Jamad of the Pointy Mountains?”
“Yes. He’s now Snowman’s summon, though.”
“No way… then was that troll from before…”
“Yes, it was.”
"No wonder... I was surprised how kind the trolls suddenly became."
The village bustled with activity as preparations were being done all around them. Judging by the savory aroma mingled with the scent of blood, the trolls were busy preparing for dinner.
“By the way, Mael…”
“Yes?”
“Do you know why this place is called the Wet Fog Hills?”
“It’s as the name suggests, these hills are foggy.”
“But there aren’t any big lakes or oceans near here?”
“That’s… well, that’s because of Old God Ambika.”
“Huh?”
"For generations, the Black Thunder Tribe, like many other tribes, have been subservient to Ambika, the primal god of lightning. Primal Gods are like natural disasters. Wherever their influence reaches, strange climates emerge."
“I see…”
"And that's why it often rains in the Wet Fog Hills, with thunder crackling frequently."
“You know a lot, don’t you, Mael?”
“Though I may look like this, I am still an active archaeologist of the Artifact Association.”
After finishing her conversation with Mael, Chameli turned to look at Seol.
“What do you think he’s doing right now?”
“He seems to be helping them cook.”
"I would have been a bit concerned about the food if the trolls had prepared it, but... if Snowman is cooking, we can relax."
“I agree.”
As Chameli and Mael had said, Seol was helping the trolls prepare dinner for their guests.
As Seol lent a hand, a troll with a slightly twisted expression approached him. It was clear that this troll was the one typically in charge of cooking duties.
However, it wasn't just that one troll who made Seol feel uneasy. He also sensed something amiss from the other trolls around him.
“It’s tasty even if you don’t cook it. Cozalkeb meat is soft, human.”
“It’s tastier if you cook it, though. Why are you guys so scared of fire?”
"Cozalkeb meat burns fast! It gets all tough when cooked too much. And if it's tough, trolls whine about their teeth hurting.”
“Then just cook it better.”
“That is true, we could just cook it bett—we know that, but it’s hard.”
“Then just watch me carefully and learn.”
“Are you trying to teach us, human?”
“No, you are just learning.”
“So it is different. Okay, we will watch and learn.”
- I can’t keep up with their conversation at all…
- So tricking each other is common in troll culture, I see…
- He’s treating them like toddlers LOL
‘They’re clearly at the bottom of the tribe's totem pole …’
In troll society, combat prowess reigned supreme. And since having someone weaker than you fight by your side would only lower morale, the weaker trolls were relegated to chores like this.
‘It might seem cruel at first glance, but... there's a subtle hint of care woven into it.’
They weren't abandoned or exiled, after all. If they had belonged to a less affluent tribe, that would have been their inevitable fate.
Sizzle…
The cozalkeb meat lay arranged in the fire pit, slowly cooking to perfection.
“Alright, this side’s done. How much time did that take?” asked Seol.
“30 seconds.”
“Now, what if you do the same for the other side?”
“Then it will be 1 minute.”
“Good. I want you to start counting out loud now while the others cook with me. We will all be cooking for the same amount of time.”
“Are you ordering us?”
“No, you’re just listening to me.”
“So it is different. Okay, we will do it.”
- Wait… Snowman really might become the king of trolls at this rate…
- They’re like the people who constantly fall for the same trick again and never learn…
Sizzzzzle…
The sound of sizzling meat filled the air.
‘These guys… don’t know a thing about cooking.’
Not only did the Black Thunder Tribe lack knowledge about sanitation and spices, but they also had absolutely no idea about the concept of flavor extraction. As Seol recalled Jamad's stories, it became evident that while the Rock Molar Tribe possessed some knowledge, the Black Thunder Tribe had none.
‘It’s possible they didn’t even see the value in cooking.’
Regardless, Seol refused to settle for a subpar dinner.
Throughout the entirety of the journey, the expedition party had been forced to rely on dried foods and had struggled to find opportunities for proper rest.
This meal not only had to help take away their exhaustion but also had to be tasty and nutritious.
Seol's efforts weren't just to get closer to the trolls, but also to support the expedition party.
“Is there anyone here who knows how to read and write?”
“Uh… me.”
“Do you have any of these things?”
Seol handed a note with ingredients listed on it to the troll.
“We have this and this. And this only grows during the winter.”
"That's fine, bring what you have. I'll leave instructions on how to prepare and use them in writing, so read it from time to time even after I leave."
“Are you ordering me?”
“No, you’re just listening to me.”
“So it is different. Okay, I will do it.”
Seol then finally began to showcase his true skills. He brought a sauce to a boil in a cauldron large enough to fit even humans, and prepared vegetables on the side for the meat he had cooked.
“Urgh… trolls don’t eat plants.”
“What?”
“Only animals eat plants.”
“...You need to eat your vegetables too.”
“Plants taste bad.”
“You could become as big as Jamad if you eat your vegetables.”
“What are you doing right now? Give us more.”
- Jamad was a vegetarian?
- He eats whatever you give him LMFAO
- So he’s not a picky eater. Me neither, except beans.
The large amounts of cozalkeb meat they had were starting to run out.
“By the way… didn’t you say this meat was for a ceremony?”
“We could always do the ceremony tomorrow. Even Ambika turns a blind eye when we have guests.”
As Seol passed plates to the countless trolls in the village, he received a flurry of messages.
[You have finished cooking.]
[You have made Roasted Cozalkeb with Veggies.]
[It smells great. The dish was a success.]
[This recipe has never been seen before.]
[Constitution permanently increases by 2.]
[You have been inspired.]
[You feel like you will be able to come up with a recipe the next time you come across a new ingredient.]
[Your cooking skills have slightly improved.]
However, more messages followed.
[You have made a dish that could feed an entire festival in one go.]
[Your cooking skills have significantly improved.]
[You have been inspired.]
[Your understanding of ingredients improves to a genius level.]
[The depths of your cooking have greatly increased.]
[You have earned the special achievement 'Nourish and Nurture'.]
[You have earned the special title 'Chef'.]
[[Special Title: Chef]
Related Achievement: Nourish and Nurture (Adventure: N/A)
Bonus Effect: Inspiration has improved, now allowing you to have ‘Flashes of Inspiration’.]
‘These effects are purely for cooking.’
Seol, thinking to himself that it would eventually come into play someday, settled down next to Frannan.
“Ahem… this is delicious.”
“Like always, right?”
"Thanks to you, I've learned today that trolls do a strange dance when they're happy."
"...I'm not sure if I like that too much."
Seol took a bite of his food before glancing around, noticing many trolls staring at him and whispering to each other.
[Unozma's favorability towards you has increased.]
[Toruruk's favorability towards you has increased.]
[Hinui's favorability towards you has increased.]
……
‘...Is it because of Monster Cooking?’
Even though Seol would have normally been happy to see favorability rise like this, too much attention from trolls was a bit burdensome, so he didn't really like it.
One of the trolls from the group then approached Seol and tapped on his shoulder.
“H-How did you make this?”
“Human, you’re different from the humans that I know.”
“I can’t believe we almost ate a human like this.”
“What a shame! I wish we could keep him.”
“He’s Jamad’s friend, though.”
“You’re leaving tomorrow after staying the night, right?”
“Still, he’s Jamad’s friend…”
“That makes sense, though! If someone can cook food like this, I’d keep him around too!”
Seol felt awkward as the trolls began to treat his Monster Cooking as some fantastical ability.
‘Regardless... I suppose it's a positive thing?’
As Seol continued to ponder, Chameli hurried to him and Mael with a desperate look on her face.
“What… What should I do? I think the troll next to me is trying to feed me alcohol!”
“It is a drink made from fermented mountain goat milk. Don’t humans also have a culture of sharing alcohol with their friends?”
"But as a religious individual, alcohol is a bit..."
"The troll next to you is much closer than your god right now, is he not?"
“Urgh… I guess there’s no choice. Just one drink…”
“...Are you sure you’ll be able to handle it?”
Gulp…
Chameli took a sip of the alcohol, her face contorting into a bitter expression.
“Bwrgh… It tastes fishy… This reminds me of a verse in Varnoa’s scriptures. ‘The wise do not seek the sun at night.’”
“And what does it mean?”
"The sun will always rise tomorrow, so conceal yourself in darkness, never forgetting the teachings. Wouldn't this cup of alcohol be like that darkness? It really does taste absolutely dreadful, though..."
"It seems vicars use many words to excuse their alcohol consumption," scoffed Frannan.
Chameli laughed brightly in response, "I'm sure gods do as well."
Seol calmly accepted the offered cup of alcohol, staring at it briefly before taking a sip.
Sip…
‘Urgh… She was right about the fishy taste.’
Just then, Seol received a new message.
[You have received a flash of inspiration.]
[You come up with a new recipe.]
Seol then told Chameli exactly what came into his head.
“This will taste better if you mix honey and cinnamon into it.”
“Come on… I doubt that will fix it at all.”
“I agree.”
The two hesitated for a second before following Seol's instructions to mix in honey and cinnamon. After taking another sip, they were shocked.
“It tastes delicious!”
The trolls, seeing that, began to copy it as well.
[Your influence in Faction: Black Thunder Tribe increases.]
* * *
The following day, Seol, the expedition party, Ungola, and the elite members of the Black Thunder Tribe departed from the village, and made their way toward the Thunder Highlands.
Jamad and Seol conversed while on the way to the Thunder Highlands. Following Jamad's discussion with Ungola the previous night, he acquired more information Seol needed to hear.
“So what kind of curse did Ungus receive?”
"There is a tree in the Thunder Highlands that never burns down. The curse he received binds his soul to it, causing him to endure repeated strikes of lightning."
“Ambika is… terrifying.”
"All of the old gods are wicked. The only reason we survived our encounter with Purga the Sulfur Monkey was because he happened to be in a good mood. Nothing more, nothing less."
“And the way to save him?”
“Only death,” said Jamad, indifferently.
“Then why hasn’t Ungola killed him? I thought they had a good relationship?”
"It's not because he hasn’t. It's because he can’t."
“What?”
"Ungus is the hero of the Black Thunder Tribe. His mastery of lightning surpasses that of anyone else's. He’s simple, but incredibly capable. It's been quite some time since I last saw him, so I'm certain he's even stronger now."
“Is he really that much stronger than the others? I mean, can’t you just bring him down with numbers?”
"An old god's curse is not so simple. Ambika likely made it so that if Ungus faces multiple opponents, his shamanic spells become significantly stronger."
“...He’s practically treating him like a toy.”
Seol’s words only caused Jamad to nod.
"The Black Thunder Tribe spends their entire lives honing the power of lightning within their bodies. And there's a simple way to gauge the level that they've reached. Can you guess what it is?"
Seol thought for a moment, then recalled the unique appearance of the members of their tribe.
“The blackened parts of their bodies?”
"Exactly. The larger the black markings on their bodies, the stronger they are. You've seen Ungola's face, haven't you?"
“Yeah, half of his face was black.”
"Then what do you think Ungus will be like?"
"......"
"You'll see for yourself. And... I also have a request."
“A request?”
Jamad’s face had grown serious.
“Could you… leave this fight to me?”
“......”
"I know it's your body, but... I can't just sit idly by when I need to send off my friend."
“Okay.”
“...What?”
“But… let me help you. That much is fine, right?”
Jamad nodded after hearing Seol’s refreshing answer.
"Yeah. Sending him off alone would have been tough, anyway."
Booom!
Thunder filled the air.
Tap, tap.
A troll tapped on Seol’s carriage door.
“Get out of the carriage, humans. Unless you want to be struck by lightning.”
Creak…
“This… is the Thunder Highlands.”
Boooom!
Craaaaackle!
Chameli quickly grabbed Mael’s arms after being shocked by the lightning.
"I-I think lightning just struck right next to me just now."
“I’m sure it’s just your imagination.”
“I’m sure of it! I saw it! I saw it with my own two eyes!”
“Hahaha. I’m sure you’re just on edge.”
“You… You…”
- (Holding back curse words)
- I feel like Jamad’s going to be writing in his notepad even in hell LMFAOOO
- His mental’s insane haha
Drip… Drip…
As the lightning passed, what welcomed them next was light rain.
It was the kind of weather where it was awkward to use an umbrella. The raindrops felt cool and refreshing more than anything else.
And though the rain never ceased, it wasn't enough to create puddles.
“Let’s go,” said Ungola. “My brother is waiting for you.”
Splatter… splatter…
The Thunder Highlands.
A tree towering alone at the center of the thunderous highlands, capturing and holding the attention of all who entered.
As Seol and the others ventured deeper into the land, the tree finally came into view.
And there, someone was waiting.
BOOOOOM!
Lightning struck his body.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“......”
With each bolt of lightning, his body thrashed and shuddered in pain.
But, despite all that, his body never wandered from the tree.
“Hey, Ungus!” shouted Jamad. "I'm here. From what I've heard, you've gone and gotten yourself into trouble again, all on your own, huh?"
“Kghhh?”
His body was charred black and emitted a faint heat, as if he had been in the oven for too long.
“Krrrr…”
Ungus was completely black.
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